Browse a full set of economic indicators

Samoa

Includes Samoa real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Samoa economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Samoa best banks and safest banks are also available.

Basic Information

Government Type: Parliamentary republic

Capital City: Apia

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Central Bank of Samoa
Currency Tala (SAT)
International Reserves USD 0.17 billion (2018)
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 0.9 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 1.2 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2014: 1.2%
2015: 1.7%
2016: 7.2%
2017*: 2.7%
2018*: 0.7%

*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 4,318.3 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 5,889.7 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total
0.0001% (2019)
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 10.4%
industry: 23.6%
services: 66%
(2016 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2014: 1.9%
2015: 0.1%
2016: 1.3%
2017*: 3.7%
2018*: 2.9%

*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2014: 1.9%
2015: 0.1%
2016: 1.3%
2017*: 3.7%
2018*: 2.9%

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
Unemployment rate N/A

Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2014: 57.8%
2015: 52.6%
2016: 49.1%
2017*: 50.3%
2018*: 49.3%

*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2014: -3.9%
2015: -0.4%
2016: -1.1%
2017*: 0.1%
2018*: -1.2%

*Estimate
Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 31% (2018)
Shares in world total merchandising export 0.0002% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export 0.005% (2017)
Total exports USD 281.1 million (2017)
Export commodities Fish, coconut oil and cream, nonu, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Total imports USD 410.9 million (2017 estimate)
Import commodities Machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Exports – major partners Australia 22.9%, NZ 22.8%, American Samoa 22.1%, Afghanistan 14.9%, US 5.9% (2017)

Imports – major partners NZ 22%, Singapore 20.7%, US 12.5%, China 10.1%, Australia 8.6%, Fiji 5.2% (2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 0.0 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP 2.3 % (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016: USD 2.5 million
2017: USD 9.1 million
2018: USD 16.7 million
FDI Outflows 2016: USD 15.3 million
2017: USD 0.1 million
2018: USD 0.0 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 98 out of 190 countries (2019)

Subcategories:

Starting a Business: 46 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 94 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 71 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 68 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 119 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 128 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 82 out of 190 countries

Trading across Borders: 154 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 86 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 140 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking N/A
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 82 / Score: 62.2 (Moderately free) (2018)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC+13

Total Area 2,831 sq km

Total Population 1990: N/A
2000: 0.175 million
2010: 0.186 million
2016*: 0.195 million
2021*: 0.202 million

*Estimate
Urban population as % of total population 1960: 19%
1980: 21%
2000: 22%
2015: 19%
Population median age 23.9 years (2016 estimate)
Population growth rate 0.59% (2016 estimate)
Life expectancy 73.7 years (2016 estimate)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day N/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) N/A
Freedom House rating Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2017)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed 5.93% Mobile 62.37% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 25.41% (2015)

Language & Religon

Languages Samoan (Polynesian) (official), English
Literacy Total population: 99%
Male: 99.1%
Female: 98.8% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)
Religions
Protestant 57.4% (Congregationalist 31.8%, Methodist 13.7%, Assembly of God 8%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.9%), Roman Catholic 19.4%, Mormon 15.2%, Worship Centre 1.7%, other Christian 5.5%, other 0.7%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

World Rankings

Population 0.202 M
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 1.3 (2013)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Samoa

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.

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Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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